Meet Alicia Johnson, an Outpatient Therapist here at Modern Psychiatry and Wellness. Alicia has been a cornerstone of our practice for over six years and has a genuine passion for working with her patients. Every day she is focused on exceeding expectations with superior care and a genuine commitment to her patients’ well-being. Alicia’s approach to therapy is rooted in a deep desire to make the world a better place, one patient at a time. Join us as we dive deeper into Alicia’s story and learn about her unwavering dedication to excellence in mental health care.
How long have you been with Modern Psych?
I started at MPW in February 2019.
What are your career and educational background?
I earned my BA in Social work at the College of Mount St. Joseph (now Mt St. Joseph University) and my Master of Social Work from the University of Cincinnati. I am licensed as a Licensed Independent Social Worker and a Licensed Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor. I started my career as a mental health case manager in Cincinnati. During my career, I have worked in both outpatient and inpatient settings. Currently, I work as an outpatient therapist with clients in individual and group settings. I have been running SUD and Dual SUD/Mental Health groups for around 15 years.
What is your role at Modern Psych and what does your job entail?
I am an Outpatient Therapist. I work with adults individually and in groups who are seeking treatment for mental health and/or substance use disorders. I run three of our SUD groups, including: Intensive Outpatient, Behavioral Health Outpatient and Behavioral Health Recovery Management. The Behavioral Health Outpatient and Recovery Management groups address both addiction and mental health, incorporating more of a mental health focus into the traditional SUD groups. I also meet with clients one on one in individual therapy for both mental health and/or addictions.
What inspired you to pursue the career you have today?
Starting college, I knew I wanted to do something that allowed me to help people and improve the world but I wasn’t sure what that was. After a few years of exploring options and taking all my required courses, I was able to find Social Work. It fit with what I was looking for, had many possible career paths and fit with my own personal values. I was able to obtain my undergrad degree in Social Work and then a few years later I completed a graduate degree in Social Work. I started my career as a case manager and eventually began working in the mental health and addictions field as a therapist. Once I started working in the mental health and addictions field, I knew I found my calling. I am lucky to be able to say that I have found a career that I truly do love, enjoy and feel fulfilled by.
What led you to work for the Modern Psych team?
I was working in an inpatient facility and I felt ready to return to an outpatient treatment setting. I was only a little familiar with MPW before applying but after doing some research and doing two interviews I felt it would be a good fit for my career goals. Six years later I can say I was correct about that and it has been a wonderful place to work. There is a strong commitment to helping the people we serve and providing the best care possible.
How would you describe the company culture at Modern Psych?
MPW is a supportive environment for both the staff and the clients. The staff truly care about the clients we work with, and we all work together to provide the best treatment possible for everyone who comes to us. The support and collaboration starts as soon as someone walks in the front door seeking treatment. As soon as you come to MPW you have a team of people working to help ensure that you can get the services you need; starting with our front desk support staff, assessors, case managers, therapists and medical staff. As a part of this team, I have always felt supported in my everyday work, in sharing ideas and growing my career. MPW is always striving to find the best ways to provide treatment to the people we serve and everyone’s ideas are welcome. This has allowed for a lot of growth and improvement in all of our programs and for me personally in my career.
What is the most unique part about working for Modern Psych?
The growth and openness of the agency, by which I mean that there is always opportunity for growth and change in programs. In the six years I have worked here I have seen a lot of growth in the outpatient therapy department and the agency, and I am not just talking about the size of the programs. There have been many groups added to the outpatient program aimed at helping the people we are serving. We have increased the number of SUD groups to accommodate different client schedules, and we now have groups to assist clients with trauma, grief and mental health. One of the other unique pieces of this is that these groups are created with the input of the staff who run those groups to help ensure that they will be practical and beneficial to the people who are attending them.
What is Your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of the job has always been working with people. I’ve worked with people in all stages of the treatment process, and it is amazing to witness the change in people throughout their time in treatment. It brings me a lot of joy to see people achieve their goals and improve their lives. I’ve met many, many wonderful people throughout my career who just needed some help and support to be able to achieve their goals. I am very grateful and blessed to be able to do the work I do and be apart of my clients journey’s in bettering their lives.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know/fun fact about yourself.
I played softball my whole life, including in college at Mt. St. Joseph and my primary position was catcher. I played other sports growing up but softball will always be my favorite and something I enjoy watching whenever I can.
